Woodman's Markets - Madison West

Woodman's Markets - Madison WestWoodman's Markets - Madison West
Woodman's Markets - Madison WestWoodman's Markets - Madison West
Store

725 S Gammon Rd
Madison, Wisconsin, 53719-1345
United States

(608) 274-8944 | map
woodmans-food.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.08
Reviews:
43
Ratings:
66
pDev:
8.58%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Realale:
Photo of Realale
Reviewed by Realale from Missouri

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
Very nice selection of local beers in the super-grocery store. The beer/wine/liquor section is a seperate part of the store with its own entrance - look for the signage to save yourself a significant walk.

Beer selection is both sides of the farthest aisle from the entrance. One side is dedicated to imports, the other to domestic craft. All of the Wisconsin beers are grouped together and take up about half the length of the domestic section. Everything is coolers except for a stack of specialty 12 packs and seasonals which runs the length of the aisle.

Outstanding selection of local stuff, but no Lake Louie, and some of the basic New Glarus line-up was missing (Uff-da). The make your own six pack section was seriously picked when I was there (Sunday evening), but I was still able to cobble one together. Good stuff in the non-Wisconsin domestic craft section. I didn't bother with the imports as I was picking up a load of Wisconsin beer.

Most everything seemed well cared for, and no out of date bottles were noted, but a few of the singles I got had seen better days. Service was non-existent with the only employee present being the cashier. Sadly, this qualifies for "average" service in my book. Prices were definitely on the cheap side as befits the mega-grocery image. Big kudos for keeping almost everything cold though. Will definitely revisit on my next trip.
Aug 28, 2006
More User Ratings:
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.75
Have you been to these Woodman's stores? Sheesh...they are HUGE.

They will have ALL the items on your food shopping list and also will be a fine source for ALL your beer/wine/booze needs and desires.

The beer is located to the rear or far left of the store, depending on which way you enter...it stored in floor width refrig units as well as stacked up high on the center area, in case displays. Expect loads of option from locals, regionals and a smattering of import options. So much beer from so many unfamiliar spots, finding the good stuff was not easy...but thats is a real good problem to have...well worth a visit if in the area
Nov 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4.04 by basaywhat from Illinois

Feb 26, 2018
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

4.53/5  rDev +11%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5
By far the best beer store on my trip to Wisconsin. The selection is mindblowing and the prices are rock bottom. Blow out cases of beer for those of you that want to drink cheap or bring back something for your non-craft friends. I bought a 24 pack of IPA's by Minhas for $4.99. They had at least 3 other beers there in cases for that price, and six packs were $2. Turned out to be a crap beer, but at least I didn't waste a ton of money.

Prices on New Glarus are the cheapest I found on my journey of about six different towns, weighing in at $9.79 for 4 packs ($9.50 if you buy more than 4), $10.49 for Fruits, and $7.49 for year round six packs. I spent the majority of my beer money there, and do not regret it. I almost bought more than I had budgeted for, believe me it's easy.

Service is not really great, I mean, nobody really knows much there. But if you are handy with looking up reviews and like to be left alone while you beer shop, that's the best place to be. Self-checkouts are nice but the scale can be a PITA.

Lots of reasons to come here and shop.
Oct 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by hoosier222002 from Illinois

Jul 22, 2016
 
Rated: 3.74 by ejimhof from Pennsylvania

Nov 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by UWBadgerFan4Life from Wisconsin

Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Jun 21, 2015
Photo of Rilesmiles
Reviewed by Rilesmiles from Wisconsin

3.39/5  rDev -16.9%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 3.25 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5
While the selection is as good as any big box grocer, it's not necessarily a pleasant place to buy your beer. The liquor section in general is spirit and BMC-centric, and the clientele and employees reflect that. Still, if you're looking for something, anything, that's typical in this distro market, it'll more than likely be available here at a good price.
May 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by TheBungyo from Washington

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Soneast from Wisconsin

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by s_wit from Wisconsin

Nov 28, 2014
Photo of twb0392
Rated by twb0392 from Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 5 | service: 2.75 | selection: 5
6.99 local 6 packs, including new glarus, wbc, and capitol; plus large selection of beer from the US.
Nov 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by KAF from Iowa

Nov 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by MiWolfman from Michigan

Oct 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by egrace84 from Illinois

Oct 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by d5001986 from Wisconsin

Sep 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by BUNZILLA from Indiana

Sep 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by bigred89 from Maryland

Aug 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by BarrelAgedG from California

Jul 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by sourdog from California

Jul 16, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by MikeyDD from Wisconsin

Jul 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Gotti311 from Wisconsin

Jun 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by TX-Badger from Texas

Jun 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by tyleeis from Wisconsin

Apr 16, 2014
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

4.12/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
Large supermarket with a huge liquor store section. Very long aisle of beer with lots of singles - some cold some not. Good selection of local craft and limited releases.
Jan 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by gwash411 from Wisconsin

Jan 20, 2014
Photo of sprucetip
Reviewed by sprucetip from Alaska

3.64/5  rDev -10.8%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 4 | service: 2.75 | selection: 4.5
Woodman's is a huge mega-box store. Just the liquor section is pretty big. Atmosphere and service are commensurate with the big-box store experience. Prices are very reasonable. The selection of midwest regional beers is impressive, and the prices better than about any place else I've seen in the region. The specialty beers selection is modest, and mostly midwest, but not completely. There were definitely some not so easy to get brews, but that is not their schtick. They cover their bases with some of each style, and the standard bearers for foreign countries. But where they are really good is providing quality regional 6 packs at good prices.
Jan 14, 2014
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

3.41/5  rDev -16.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
Basically, this is a liquor warehouse. The guys stocking the shelves have no real idea what our beer geek's latest whalezzz are, or that there is a such thing. But this is a perfect place to go browse for beer, look stuff up on your phone, and either walk out with nothing or walk out with a cart full of beer. The selection is deep here, and I always appreciate the fact that prices are about $1 less than other places in Madison- but don't forget that Woodman's is cash-only. Highly recommend when you're going in for stuff you want to stock up on, e.g. you have had these beers already, like the New Glarus fruit beers or something like that. If you are hankering for something new, this isn't a bad place to go but I would still suggest going elsewhere.
Sep 04, 2013
Photo of jegross2
Reviewed by jegross2 from Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
The employees I have talked to at woodmans are not very helpful in selecting new beers, but if you have an iphone and patience to search through Beer Advocate to check out the interesting-looking beers, then you'll be just fine.

Woodmans has a very deep selection of quality beers and great prices. For example, you can get the large bottled Samuel Smith Imperial Stouts for $3 (while the $5 it costs at Rileys isnt much more expensive, and is still worth the cost, when you buy beer in bulk runs, the bill quickly adds up). I also like their large selection of single bottles that you can build your own sixer from. Their pick-6 selection is all very fresh (unlike other stores that just try to push their expiring beer), though surprisingly expensive ($11+tax) given the rest of the prices and the beer brands you can choose from (Sierra Nevada, Great Lakes, New Holland).

Overall, Woodmans has a lot a great beer selection attached to its grocery store and good prices to boot. It's hard to get good recommendations there, but an iphone solves that issue.
Nov 12, 2011
Photo of anell213
Reviewed by anell213 from Wisconsin

3.59/5  rDev -12%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 4.5
Atmosphere: Not fancy looking, but every time I walk in I get giddy with excitement at the sheer size of the place.

Quality: Good. Large import section, huge microbrew section, lots of mini-kegs, etc. My big problem is that they don't seem to get as many of the limited release bombers that Star or Steve's gets.

Service: Worst part of Woodmans. The staff (if you can find any) always seems inconvenienced if I ask them for anything, and they aren't particularly knowledgeable about their products.

Value: Best prices in Madison, hands down.
May 14, 2011
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3
Transcribed from notes dtd H, 12 Aug 2010.

It was recommended by local site user hu5on that I stop in this place during my annual visit. I applaud his sensibilities, but not his overall judgment.

As I entered, I was told that the beer/wine/liquor was in the far northwest corner of the building. So be it and thus began my trek past all of that pesky food to get to what really mattered. Once through the sliding glass doors that made doubly sure that I did not just aimlessly wander into the storehouse of demon alcohol, beer created a horseshoe-like design to reign in their wine and liquor. I bought some beers, but most of their singles were bottles. The place was well-maintained, the beers were protected by heavy rubber drapes and the temperatures were right, plus the prices were visibly marked. My complaint was the lack of availability of single CANs. I simply did not want a whole case of O'Doul's Amber in a CAN nor did I want the majority of their ginormous selection. Traders who frequent this place should CANsult my Wants for potential trades.
Apr 17, 2011
Photo of 4DAloveofSTOUT
Reviewed by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -8.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
Was in the souhtern madison area and decided to stop out to this store to see what beers I having been missing out on in the madison area. This is my first time shopping for beer in Madison, Wisconsin.

Woodmans always has been a good price for beer and i was thinking that the selection should be great since Wisconsin is such a great beer state. Was i right, this place has an amazing selection of craft beer from every corner of the USA. Oskar blues and Boulevard were 2 breweries that really surprised me at this store. I will be stopping here again. I easily could have bought 2 large boxes full of beer in this store.
Apr 13, 2011
Photo of cwcolby74
Reviewed by cwcolby74 from Indiana

4.39/5  rDev +7.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 5
This place is like a Costco for beer. It's a liquor store, essentially, connected to a big grocery store. This is the Woodman's on the west side by the Beltline. The Woodman's on Milwaukee Street on the east side by the capital area is almost as impressive.

I don't know if I have ever been so shocked upon entering a liquor store. The beer section is enormous. They have a shockingly diverse selection. They get stuff from all over the country. They have just about every major brewery in Wisconsin represented.

I spent $60 or so and didn't even make a dent.

I would be a major-league alcoholic if I lived in Madison.
Mar 30, 2011
Photo of MarcatGSB
Reviewed by MarcatGSB from Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
I did not know what to expect when I got off the 151 to head towards Woodmans Grocery store. Many people had recommended I stop there to pick up some beers on my way through Madison, so I took their advice. I was shocked at the sheer size of Woodmans. Cash only, please take note. They are nice enough to have a "no-fee" ATM on premise, so it's all good!

The left side of the liquor/beer/wine department is lined with an open curtain faced cooler filled with 6 packs of assorted treats. The first one as I turned the corner, DFH Burton Baton! Big props for that. That is Emily's favorite beer, and we both were ecstatic. The selection is good. They don't have ALOT of rare, or off the wall stuff, but plenty of local Wisconsin beers, as well as a decent selection of bombers from FFF, New Glarus, Avery, etc. We ended up getting some FFF Broodoo, Dreadnaught, and Gumballhead from Woodman's, along with the Burton Baton. (The Burton Baton went quick, as we bought the two four packs on Thursday, returned Sunday for more and they were all gone).

Overall, I will stop there again on my way through. It's impressive how much less beer they had on Sunday night when we stopped compared to Thursday after noon. The weekend really cleaned them out, and are happy we stopped when we did.
Feb 14, 2011
Photo of MilwaukeeCrusher
Reviewed by MilwaukeeCrusher from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -2%
This is probably the best place for value in the whole city. Singles selection is limited, and staff generally doesn't know much about beer. Selection in general is very broad, and as far as quality they do get some of the higher end releases, but they don't last long. If you want to load up on a broad variation of Great Lakes brews and don't mind missing a few rare releases, then this is your place. For 90% of my beer purchases, this is my go to place. In my opinion this location has the best selection of beer in the whole chain.
Jan 13, 2011
Photo of djhowell
Reviewed by djhowell from Wisconsin

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
I can never seem to make a quick stop to Woodman's liquor store, I always end up spending way more time than anticipated browsing all the selections. Don't expect to discuss the latest craft beer releases with any of the employees here, none seem to be very passionate about beer but they are usually friendly. The selection is fantastic though and the prices are the best in Madison. I also really appreciate their make-your-own-six-pack special that has encouraged me to try some beers I might not have otherwise.

Also, they offer case pricing on Oskar Blues -- great for camping trips.
Jul 13, 2010
Photo of klikger
Reviewed by klikger from Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
I feel like a kid in a candy store when I walk into this place. There must be 40+ feet of refrigerated micro 6-packs and bombers, 24+ of imported bombers (and other single bottles) and packs, and another 16 or so of feet of micro 12 packs. They also consistently have the lowest prices in Madison.

I won't lie - I prefer giving Steve's, Star, Barrique's, Jenifer St., Riley's, etc. my business, as they often have specific things which Woodman's doesn't, and, especially in the case of the former two, have friendly and knowledgeable staffs who I enjoy conversing with. That being said, when I'm on the west side (or east, although their Woodman's is not quite as large), it's hard not to stop here. Very large spirits and wine selection, as well.
Apr 05, 2010
Photo of Ek0nomik
Reviewed by Ek0nomik from Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
The west side Woodman's is always a good spot to stop at for a few bottles of beer. Although the place is usually crazy busy for groceries, their liquor department is pretty calm every time I visit.

They have a nice selection of bottles from various Wisconsin breweries, Midwest breweries and the rest of the country. Their prices are also pretty reasonable. I think this is the cheapest place for picking up a bottle of New Glaurus Belgian Red or Raspberry Tart. They also have a good selection of some of the well known Belgian beers.

If Woodman's was just a tad closer I'd be there every week.
Nov 03, 2009
Woodman's Markets - Madison West in Madison, WI
Place rating: 4.08 out of 5 with 66 ratings